Here are some of the best proverbs and sayings that passed down through generations among the incredible Chinese nation. Take the time to read them, and you’ll be convinced — the wisdom of China is as rich and refreshing as a cup of freshly-brewed tea.
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
- An invisible, red thread connects those who are destined to one day meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
- One who points out your flaws is not necessarily your enemy; the one who always compliments you is not necessarily your friend.
- The temptation to give in is always strongest just before victory.
- The goal of life is to die young, but as late as possible.
- Times past cannot be called back again.
- Do not be afraid of going slowly. Only be afraid of standing still.
- Experience is like a comb which nature gives us only after we have lost all our hair.
- Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence.
- A strong person will overcome an obstacle; a wise person will traverse the whole path.
- A small cottage wherein laughter lives is worth more than a palace full of tears.
- Always safeguard peace and quiet. When the time is right, the flowers will bloom.
- Even idiots have a their own foolish form of happiness.
- If you trip and fall, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going in the wrong direction.
- If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.
- Always look on the bright side of things. If you can’t comprehend this, polish that which has dulled until it begins to shine.
- Whatever happens always happens on time.
- The wind does not help anyone who is not sailing anywhere.
- Don’t be afraid that you do not know something. Be afraid of not learning about it.
- A good teacher opens the door for you, but you must enter the room by yourself.
- The wind howls, but the mountain remains.
- If you tell me something, I’ll believe you. If you repeat it, I’ll begin to doubt what you said. When you start to insist, I realise you are lying.
- If you are truly talented, don’t fear a spell of bad luck.
- There’s no such thing as a friend who doesn’t have any flaws. But if you try to look for all their flaws, you will remain with no friends.
- A person who doesn’t know how to have a good rest is not capable of doing good work.
- One who has the best intentions always knows how to blush.
- Unhappiness enters a door that is already open.
- What took one hundred years to create can be destroyed in one hour.
- Sleeping on the same pillow doesn’t mean having the same dreams.
- It’s better be a person for a day than to be a shadow for a 1,000 days.
- The great rivers flow quietly; a wise man doesn’t raise his voice.
- He who returns from a journey is not the same person who first left.
- The greatest battle is the one that did not happen.
- If you cannot handle small things then all your grander schemes will come to nothing.
- The man who moved the mountain was the one who began carrying away the smallest stones.
- There are no hopeless situations, only incorrect solutions.
- Once you’ve made a mistake, the only thing you can do is laugh at it.
- The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
